Hydraulic propulsion of vessels



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1-.

'J. G. WALKER. HYDRAULIC PROPULSION 0P VESSELS.

Patented Jeni, 9, 1894.

W/ TNE 885 S we NATIONAL LITHOGFIAFNXNG COMPANY.

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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

J. O. WALKER. HYDRAULIC PROPULSION 0F VESSELS.

No.- 512,591. Patented Jan. 9,1894. 7

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UNrrnn TATES ATENT @FFIGE.

JAMES C. WALKER, OF VVACO, TEXAS.

HYDRAULIC PROPULSION OF VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,591, dated January 9, 1894.

Application filed March 29 1893. Serial No. 468,164. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES C. WALKER, of Waco, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hydraulic Propulsion of Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention comprehends certain improvements upon the means for the hydraulic propulsion of vessels, or the jet propeller shown and described in my previous patent, No. 480,533, dated August 9, 1892.

It consists in means for draining the bearings of the jet nozzles, and in means for ventilating and draining the ships hold as will be hereinafter more fully described with reference to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa horizontal diagram of the vessel provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the hull. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged details of the steering mechanism at the stern of the vessel, and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged details of one of the jet nozzles at the side of the vessel with its attached parts.

In the drawings, a and b are two tapering horizontal pipes running through the bottom of the boat and opening at their forward ends into the water. These pipes have propeller wheels at d in them operated through gearing o fand f by suitable motive power to drive the water through at a high rate of speed. The pipes a b have branch pipes 0 opening through the sides of the boat and terminating in nozzles through which a series of jets of water is made to issue to propel the boat-all as described in my previous patent referred to. The nozzles c c are curved in form and provided with a swiveling cuff c which with packing rings fits close on to the ends of the pipes o c and may revolve thereon. The cuffs e have teeth around them which mesh in teeth in the horizontal slide bars h h which bars are held in working position by the guides 7c and clamps c c. To these bars are attached levers h if supported by fulcrums f The pilot or engineer by the handles k may move the bars h 7:. forward or backward and this movement turns the nozzles backward or forward as desired to drive the boat in either direction.

g is, an air and drain tube lying close to keel and extending from open air in front of bow, to the well or water reservoir W. Near the bow this tube is forked and one branch enters the open air on each side of the keel line a: and opens as shown in Fig. l at g 9 near the deck floor, as in Fig. 2 safely above the water line. The object of this tube is two fold: first, to admit and keep constantly a strong draft of fresh air into the lowest part of the hold, and, secondly, it serves as a drain tube for any water escaping from the shafts of the gears ff running the water wheels and the nozzles in front of the well, as hereinafter explained. Another tube r is arranged longitudinally near the keel, extending from the well W to near the exit of the main pipes a b. The object of this pipe is to drain the waste water from the cuffs aft of the Well into the well W.

g g are drain cups around each nozzle, and g g are tubes leading from the cups to the drain pipes g and r above mentioned.

P is a discharge pipe extending from the well W to its exit at P. Near the exit of this pipe two pipes P P emerge from the main pipes at b and communicate with the pipe P at P and from P to P the three pipes form but one pipe. This pipe P follows and lies close to the keel, just above or alongside of the pipe 0" r. This pipe r 0" appears on both sides of the pipes P in Fig. 1, and may ap pear as two pipes, but it is but as one, see Fig. 2, lying under pipe P.

W is a reservoir or well in the lower part of the hold in which are collected the bilge water and waste water from the nozzles as above described.

By the union of the three pipes P P and P at P when properly proportioned and properly joined, the water issuing through P P at a high velocity will cause a strong suction that will draw the waste bilge water out of the well through pipe P whose end dips down to the bottom of the well, and when all the water in the well is drawnout, it will draw out foul air in the hold. The water forced through the pipes P P is not Wasted for motive effect, for the reaction of the discharge of these pipes above the water line has the same forward propulsion of the boat as though the pipes discharged below the water line, react-ion being independent of the medium opposed to the direct action. Valves 4) o serve to close front main pipes a b when desired.

o o'and v are valves for closing the main pipes in rear and drain pipes P when the boat is still or moving backward. They are connected by a system of levers and operated by chains passing around pulleys v o and extending to and around wheel 72 in pilot or engineers room. The stern nozzles a I) turn to the right or left horizontally on a ball joint a b, and are connected with a system of levers a a b a coupled together by rod a a and are operated by chains around pulleys Z7 11 extending forward to and around pulley b in the engineers or pilot room.

S S are fire plugs. In case of fire in the hold of the boat or ship it may be at once extinguished by short hose attach ed to these plugs.

S are air chambers in the main pipes. As the water in the pipes at and b is under considerable pressure, a hose attached to the fire plugs will readily convey an effective stream to any part of the vessel. The air chambers S serve much the same purpose that they do in a force pump, giving elasticity and constancy to the flow.

To prevent inflow of water at the front and rear of the main pipes on and b I have provided these pipes with valves at such points which may be useful in case any accident should happen which would necessitate the repairing of vthese pipes. I propose also to equip each one of the branch pipes c with a valve for the similar purpose of preventing inflow, but as such valves are well known and can be easily applied by the mechanic, I do not consider it necessary to illustrate them.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination in a vessel; of a Well or reservoir located in the hold, and a series of drainage tubes leading thereto, and leakage cups arranged about the joints of the exposed bearings and communicating with the drainage tubes, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of a vessel having longitudinal pipes with propeller wheels in them, a well or bilge water collector, and a discharge pipe dipping down into the bottom of said well and extending rearward and having an ejector connection with the discharge ends of the propeller pipes substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination with the vessel having longitudinal pipes with propellers in them; of a well for holding bilge water, a ventilating pipe leading therefrom to the stern, and ejector branches leading from the main or propeller pipes into the discharge end of the air pipes to create a suction or draft therein substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination with the vessel having longitudinal pipes with propellers in them; of a well for holding bilge water, a pipe leading therefrom to the bow of the boat and opening above the water line, a second pipe'leading from said well to the stern of the boat, and branch pipes from the propeller pipes leading into the discharge end of said rear pipe substantially as shown and described.

JAS. C. W'ALKER.

Vitnesses:

EDW. W. BYRN, SoLoN C. KEMON. 

